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His gray gaze pierced hers. “If I were a teenager, that might matter. At the age of thirty, it does not signify.”
“To you.”
“Does it bother you?” This time his question came out as more of a challenge.
It had. When they’d first met, and she was lusting after a twenty-two-year-old who hadn’t ever had a serious girlfriend, as far as Jenna knew. And because he was a prince with a significant public profile, she thought she would have known.
When he’d started dating Galena, it had certainly gone public.
“Jenna?” he prompted. “Are you really bothered by such an insignificant thing?”
“No.” At least not in the terms he’d outlined. Dating. Sex. Casual. “But if it did bother me, it would not be insignificant.”
“Point taken.” His smile was sexy and natural.
It was also really devastating to the one part of her she didn’t want affected by this man.
Her heart.
The truth was, Jenna was enjoying lunch with Dima a lot more than was good for her. She’d always found the youngest Merikov brother likable, if arrogant, but in dating mode?
He was a force of nature, his animal magnetism drawing her.
Charming and urbane, he willingly discussed topics of interest to her, showing a wide breadth of knowledge on subjects she found surprising.
“You’re well-read on sustainable fashion.”
“The fast fashion industry feeds too many societal ills for me to ignore its impact. It is important that my brothers and I are aware of the societal and environmental impact of any company we choose to do business with.”
“Not all CEOs feel the same.”
As CEO, Dima’s oldest brother, King Nikolai, was the nominal head of Mirrus Global, the family-owned international conglomeration. Konstantin was the chief operating officer, and Dima was the chief financial officer, but the truth was, all three brothers shared certain responsibilities while delineating others.
That delineation could be geographical, like Nikolai running the offices on Mirrus, Konstantin controlling those in Seattle, and Dima heading the New York office. Jenna knew the brothers also had certain assigned work responsibilities they trusted to each other, while still working closely together.
“Is it hard for you to live so far from your family?” His other brothers were a couple of hours’ flight from each other.
Even with a private jet at his disposal, Dima had to travel a good portion of the day to reach his closest family in Seattle, though.
“No.”
“But you’re such a close knit family.”
His gorgeous mouth twisted in a slight grimace. “Since my time in the military, I have preferred a certain amount of privacy that distance makes more possible.”
“You are still in the military, aren’t you?”
Something serious flashed in his gray eyes. “I should have said active deployment. Yes, I have followed tradition and retain an officer position in our country’s military. When my father finally retires as brigadier general, it is expected I will be in a position to succeed him.”
“Not Nikolai?” she asked.
“It has traditionally been the role of a younger son, but my father was an only child.”
“Oh.” Her dearest friend had been married to the King of Mirrus for the better part of a decade, and there was still so much about the royal family that Jenna did not know.
The alarm on her phone sounded. Regret at what it meant swept over Jenna as she swiped the screen before the chimes could annoy the other diners. “I have an afternoon editorial meeting. I have to go.”
Dima stood immediately, grabbing his own phone and sending a text. “I’ll drop you off.”
